“Well then, I am complimented. And, really, I just want to say that I hope you keep doing whatever it is you’re doing. Nick is good people, just like my daughter-in-law here,” he says, pushing Scout’s shoulder, garnering a brilliant smile from her. “But he’s been struggling to keep everything together, and having to cycle through so many people for this position has taken a lot out of him. But with you here, it feels stable, feels like Nick is actually able to give himself some breathing room. Which that guy desperately needs.”
“Well then,” I say, slightly embarrassed. “I, too, am complimented. Honestly, it feels good to make things better for this place. I like that we are taking care of our own. I like it very much.”
“Good. Good. Evie’s told me that he carries around too much, and that having you around has de-aged him by about ten years.”
Scout’s looking at me with a strange, almost bemused expression, and the continued compliments are making me flush. “Oh, well, I don’t know if I did all of that.”
“Believe me, kid. We just met and I can tell you’re one of those old souls, and that you’ve got great instincts. You’re exactly what this place needs, and you bring balance to him and to the folks who come here.”
Evie had told me that her father’d had a hard time with her relationship with Scout, at least initially. After Scout had a health scare, it seemed to reconfigure what was important to this kind, warm man. God, he seems like such a…dad. I have the overwhelming urge to hug him but hold back because I don’t want to be a weirdo.
“All right, well, I’ve gotta go, kiddo. It was nice meeting you,” he says, pulling me in for a big bear hug. Swear to Jesus, y’all. I damn near cried.
Chapter Eleven
Nick
Elijah is working out well enough that Scout, Evie, Roly, and I are able to head down to San Antonio to see my folks and leave him in charge.
“Mijo! You look tired.” Carolina Martinez has never been one for pulling punches. My mom’s super sweet but not real subtle. “Roly, tell me the truth. Is he overdoing it at that gym of his?”
Roly bites his lips together, a joke sparking in his eyes. “Don’t do it, Roly,” I hiss at him.
“Of course he is, Tia. Have you ever known Nick to do anything other than work too hard, not get enough sleep, and push until he got everything he wanted?”
I arch my brow at my cousin. “Who areyoutalking about? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. I just work at the gym; you and Scout are the ones who are trying to open up a second location for the pizza shop.”
“Yeah, but a pizza shop doesn’t open till eleven o’clock. You’re up at four thirty every morning getting ready to open at five. Who’s the crazy one now? And I know that you onlyjust nowstarted letting Elijah close down the shop a couple nights a week.”
Yeah, Elijah had actually been really, really clutch in the last couple of weeks. Normally I open the shop and Roly closes it, but we’ve been going in too many different directions, so I offered him some overtime and he took it.
Roly continues, reading my mind. “Hell, if anyone’s doing too much, it’s Elijah.”
“True story. That dude is a machine. Like I have never seen our place so clean, and I’m pretty particular.”
Roly snorts, as though I’d understated my control-freak tendencies. “I swear I saw him taking a toothbrush to the rowing machines last week. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen him just standing around. He’s always doing something.”
Scout shakes her head like we’re just too dumb to figure it out. “Why don’t you just make him an assistant manager? I mean, if you’re paying him all that overtime, make it a salaried position, up his benefits. I’m telling you, taking care of Evie was the most financially sound thing I ever did for my business. And that was even before we got together. If you know you got a good one, do something to make him stay.”
I have a small moment of panic at the thought that someone else could be paying him better and giving him enough time to work toward his business degree. Though, when I see him at work with our clients, I don’t know if a business degree is the right path for him. I don’t want him to go work for some high-priced downtown firm; I want him to stay here with me.
With the gym, I mean.
I nod at what Scout is saying. “Yeah, but that costs money. And I might need some more from my angel investors to make that happen.”
“Done. I’ll talk to Jean-Pierre about it, and I’m sure he’ll agree.”
I catch Evie smirking, and there’s no way it isn’t trouble. “Hell, if you really want to make sure to get a yes from Jean-Pierre, just make my brother ask.” She smiles broadly, real proud of herself. Of course, anyone with functioning eyeballs could absolutely see that it’s the truth.
Scout laughs. “Oh my god, those two have been circling each other for, like, a year now. I’m just thinking about Jake asking Jean-Pierre, and I’m wondering how many words he’d get in before he— Babe, what is it you call the thing that Jake does? The one where he freezes on the spot?”
Evie laughs, again looking a little too proud of herself. “I like Jakecicle, sometimes J-Pop. Depends on how bad it gets. Thankfully, he’s getting a little faster at recovering his locomotion, but there’s always the slightest hint of a Jakecicle before he can gather himself in Jean-Pierre’s presence.”
Roly and I look at each other, amusement flashing between us. I lean in.Like a startled antelope on the African plain, Jake goes absolutely still in the presence of the effervescent Jean-Pierre.
Roly: Nick, we believe that Jake’s Robert Smith couture is an attempt to blend into the background, but the wily basketball player sees past the camouflage.
Me: Roly, as you know we try to remain impartial observers, it may be incumbent upon us to nudge them towards each other.
